


Rubies & Gold

by pepperine



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Canon Universe, Drabble Collection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-07-16 10:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7265182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepperine/pseuds/pepperine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Alikou drabbles and short oneshots, mainly requests from Tumblr.</p><p><b>Latest Update:</b> Kougyoku likes thunderstorms. Alibaba finds them terrifying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beach

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous/gifts), [naegichiis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=naegichiis), [Hakuryuukun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hakuryuukun/gifts).



> I said I probably wasn't going to upload these anywhere but my blog, but here we are.
> 
>  **Request:** "Alikou on the beach" from [naegichiis](http://naegichiis.tumblr.com/).  
>  Originally posted [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/111054297874/beach-alibabakougyoku).

Their shoes sit abandoned further up the beach, one pair kicked off haphazardly and the other arranged neatly side by side. Kougyoku’s skirts are piled in her arms as they wade through the surf, and Alibaba can’t help but think she makes quite a spectacle this way, all silk and gold, windswept hair and sandy feet. Whenever she leans down to pick up a shell, she tries to crouch first, then catches herself as her hem nearly touches the water, and must resort to bending at the waist instead –most unladylike, she admits. Alibaba finds it cute.

“What about this one?” he calls out to her, fishing up a seashell that seems like it should be what she’s looking for. They’ve been at this for a while now, the sun sinking ever closer to the horizon, but Kougyoku hasn’t deemed anything they’ve pulled from the water a suitable souvenir. Not that Alibaba minds, of course. He’s not talking to Aladdin these days, and a sunset walk on the beach with a pretty girl _definitely_ beats training.

“Let me see.” Kougyoku sloshes over to him, primly clutching at her armload of silk. Alibaba catches himself glancing down at her legs, bare and white and actually pretty long, come to think of it, and quickly averts his eyes. That won’t do, he tells himself. A man shouldn’t look at his friends that way.

“No,” comes the princess’s voice, before she even takes the seashell from his hand. A defeated smile pulls at the corners of Alibaba’s mouth, and he allows his shoulders to slump a bit.

“You know,” he offers, hoping he doesn’t sound annoyed, because he’s really not. Just a little sunburned. “You can take more than one with you tomorrow. The ship probably won’t sink or anything. Doesn’t have to be perfect.” His grin stretches wider across his face, and he tosses the shell back out into the water; it skips across the surface.

“I’ll take more if there’s more than one good one,” Kougyoku says, about as indignant as he is annoyed. He’s going to miss her when she’s gone. Even when she’s fussy like this, Alibaba likes being around her. “But first we have find one worth taking.”

He wishes he could keep her here forever.

A gust of wind makes the golden ornament atop Kougyoku’s head jingle, and she absently sweeps her hair out of her face, eyes scanning the water that tugs at their ankles, and Alibaba is mesmerized, staring weakly, and not just at her legs. Then he sees those eyes light up, widen momentarily before she splashes past him, her lips parted in a soft “oh” as she leans down to grab another shell before it’s tugged out to sea.

She’s close enough to touch now, and without thinking, he does, resting his palm on the small of Kougyoku’s back as if to steady her, but he really doesn’t know what he’s doing. It seems she doesn’t know either, and she makes a nervous little sound; the panic begins to swell in Alibaba’s chest, and he does the only thing that seems natural now —he pushes her over.

With a shriek, she topples into an oncoming wave, but the water isn’t really deep enough to break her fall, not even knee-deep. Alibaba tugs at his own clothes, teeth clenched and face reddening as he looks anywhere but at the princess, waiting for her to yell at him or start crying. What the hell was he even doing just now? Not only was it stupid, touching her for no reason, it was probably really creepy and _weird—_

A tinkle of laughter cuts short his desire to punch himself in the teeth, and then he’s meeting Kougyoku’s eyes again, her smile wider than he’s ever seen it before, clothes sopping wet and hairpin slipping free, but the wave of relief that hits him is really nothing compared to the wall of seawater she conjures not a moment later, grinning all the while.

**End.**


	2. Wanna Dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alibaba and Kougyoku crash a wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Request:** "Wanna dance?" by [expandingcat](http://expandingcat.tumblr.com/).  
>  Originally posted [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/142825723314/you-said-alikou-so-alikou-and-37).

“Hey, Kougyoku, you wanna dance?” Alibaba nearly shouts over the music, already standing up from the banquet table and offering Kougyoku his hand. He’s chewing on a kebab skewer and positively glowing amidst the light of a hundred golden sparklers, a flower nearly the size of his palm tucked behind his ear —a custom at Sindrian weddings. Behind him are throngs of other guests dressed in every color imaginable, their clothes swirling hypnotically as they dance, but nothing beckons more loudly than Alibaba’s carefree grin.

“I, um, don’t really know how,” Kougyoku admits as she takes her friend’s hand anyway, checking with the other to make sure the yellow flowers in her own hair are secure. He nods his head toward the edge of the crowd and leads her in. The music is loud and quick, the beat of the drums strong enough for the princess to feel in her bones, and it seems almost fittingly unrestrained when Alibaba pulls her close. Kougyoku gasps in exhilaration, inhaling his scent of spices and oranges.

“I’ve never done it like this before,” she warns with a giggle as he begins to guide her into the dance, wine and that funny incense for the newlyweds sapping her inhibitions. Truly, Kougyoku has no idea what she’s supposed to do, but she’s not embarrassed by it, not at all like when she’s with Sinbad. Instead she’s simply thrilled by the way Alibaba spins her this way and that, careful to never let her stray too far from him.

“You’ve never crashed a wedding before, either,” he laughs as he twirls her around, silk skirts a blur of green and pink in the torchlight. “But look at you go. Practically a pro at both now.” A moment later, Kougyoku lands in his arms again, and she realizes these close moments are easily her favorite parts of the dance. Alibaba’s touch doesn’t invoke that feeling of desperate shyness the king of Sindria’s does, only a welcome excitement and a desire to stay in the embrace longer than their dance permits. As one of his hands guides the shaking of her hips, Kougyoku is fairly sure it’s more than exertion that’s making her heart pound like this.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Alibaba dips her, and she lets out a shriek of delighted surprise, throwing her arms around his neck to keep from falling backwards. The light of the crowd’s sparklers glitter in his eyes as he grins down at her, and she’s pulled his face is so close to hers that Kougyoku can feel his breath on her lips. Many moments tick by. A red flush blooms across Alibaba’s cheeks, the same color as the flower in his hair, and he lets out an almost comical sound of realization at how long he’s held their current position.

He’s nothing like Sinbad, so then why does he make Kougyoku feel the same?

**End.**


	3. Is There a Reason Why You're Naked in My Bed?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The empress makes an offer Alibaba simply can't refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Request:** "Is there a reason why you're naked in my bed?" by anonymous.  
>  Originally posted [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/142774408859/alikou-6-is-there-a-reason-youre-naked-in-my).
> 
> Kougyoku's sleeping arrangements are based on a similar practice once used in the Palace of Heavenly Purity in the Forbidden City.

The empress had more than one bedroom, Alibaba was disappointed to learn his first week at the palace.

It was a practice that spanned back hundreds of years, from the days when Kou was just a small kingdom, always at war. The king would secretly choose a new bed from within a labyrinth of rooms each night, making him that much harder to find and kill in his sleep. And in Kou’s current state of disarray, he had to admit it was best that Kougyoku do the same, even if it meant he’d never have a chance to sneak in for a late-night chat (or… _whatever_ ) with her.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Alibaba-chan… If you can find my room, I’ll let you stay the night,” the empress proposed one evening as they left the library, a tiny smile pulling at her lips. It was just the two of them now, Ka Koubun and his subordinates having long since turned in. Her hair was in disarray and her clothes were covered in dust, but he suddenly realized he’d never seen her looking more lovely than right now.

“F… For real?” Alibaba asked, just to make certain of her offer. Sure, they held hands and stuff a lot, and Kougyoku kissed him on the cheek once when she was leaving Sindria, but that was just about the extent of their physical relationship. But clearly the emotional side went much deeper. It wasn’t hard to see that she was sweet on him already, and in turn Alibaba simply couldn’t help mirroring those feelings. They’d never really talked about it, but Kougyoku playfully inviting him into her bed was a much better confession than anything he could’ve ever imagined.

“Mm! We’ve known each other for a really long time now, so it should be okay.” One of her hands closed around his, and immediately his heart started to race. “And if not… Well, I’m the empress! It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. We can do whatever we want,” Kougyoku giggled, surprisingly blasé about both her authority and certain things that made Alibaba’s ears turn red.

He could hardly believe she was offering this in the first place, but eagerly he agreed, not one to allow a near-impossible game of hide-and-seek to come between his and his empress’s love. Yes, he was sure now that it was love, even if Kougyoku was still too shy about her feelings to say it herself.

 

* * *

 

Alibaba searched for well over an hour, maybe even two. He checked dozens of rooms, awkwardly making eye contact with the palace guards now and then. None of them knew which one Kougyoku was in, but they allowed the new prime minister to pass, albeit not without funny looks now and then. The love-struck grin on his face must’ve been impossible to miss.

Unwilling to give up, Alibaba continued weaving his way throughout a maze of bedrooms and corridors that spanned three floors, until his ears caught the distinct sound of Kougyoku’s voice. A nearby door had been left ajar, and he could hear her in the bedroom beyond it, humming cheerfully.

Heart positively aflutter, he pushed the door open and slipped inside. A folding screen on the far side of the room was illuminated from behind, Kougyoku’s silhouette standing out starkly on it as she brushed her hair. Although he was already excited, Alibaba felt himself grow just a little giddier. They were alone now, and in private, and surely she was going to look cuter than ever before when she stepped out from behind that screen. He opened his mouth to announce himself to her, but then he had a better idea.

Kougyoku had a very clear concept of what she considered ladylike behavior, and Alibaba knew by now how strictly she adhered to it. Inviting him to her room in the first place was quite the opposite of that demureness she was otherwise always trying to project. So he decided he was going to take the lead tonight, and keep her from having to be forward and immodest herself –in short, he was going to prove his love by _being a man_.

And Alibaba knew exactly how he was going to do that.

Quickly, he began stripping off his clothes, merely tossing them to the floor in his haste. He’d heard there was a scene in one of Sinbad’s new books like this, where he seduced a princess from a desert kingdom by sneaking into her room and undressing and lying in wait for her return. It was just about the coolest thing he’d ever heard of Sinbad doing, but it seemed simple enough to pull off himself.

And so, he flung the very last of his clothes aside and crawled onto Kougyoku’s bed, nearly giggling in anticipation. It took a few moments for Alibaba to find an appropriately languid, sexy pose that worked for him, but when he did, he gingerly pulled the blankets up to cover as little of himself as possible while still remaining _some_ semblance of decency.

This was perfect. Kougyoku was going to love it.

Alibaba had barely lain sprawled out for a minute when the empress emerged from behind her folding screen, hair down and dressed in loose, simple robes. Her soft humming stopped immediately, pink eyes growing wide when she saw what awaited her on her bed.

“Yo, Kougyoku,” he greeted her, mustering his most charming smile. Alibaba’s hand nearly shook in anticipation as he offered a nonchalant little wave.

Kougyoku’s mouth opened, and she emitted a tiny, high-pitched sound. Their eyes remained locked until she finally registered what she was seeing and let out a much louder cry, hiding her entire red face in her hands.

“Wha… Why are you in my bed?! And n… _naked_?!” she shrieked, shaking her head back and forth. Every muscle in Alibaba’s body tensed at once. Did he screw up?

“Y-You invited me! You told me to come find you so I could spend the night!” he replied, trying to sound calm and seductive and failing miserably. This didn’t look good.

“I didn’t think you’d do this!” Kougyoku yelled from behind her hands. She made a noise suspiciously similar to a hiccuping sob

“Isn’t this what you wanted?!” Alibaba’s voice actually cracked in his panic, and he could feel tears of embarrassment prickling the corners of his eyes. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. It was a last-minute plan, but it had worked for Sinbad, so why not him?

“I don’t know! Is this what _friends_ are supposed to do at a sleepover?!” Kougyoku demanded, and the words pierced Alibaba like an arrow fired from a crossbow.

 _Oh yeah_ , he screwed up. He _really_ screwed up.

“Sleep… over…” His voice was barely above a whisper as the words left his mouth, nothing but a cold, hollow feeling remaining in his chest. The girl he was sure was the love of his life had wanted nothing more than a sleepover.

Weakly, he began to curl into a ball, tugging the blankets up to his chin as he rolled across Kougyoku’s bed in shame and frustration. By the time he was completely cocooned and had begun to wail into a pillow, half a dozen palace guards had burst into the room, and Alibaba was sure he wouldn’t care one bit if his soul was torn from his body again, if only he could escape this devastating humiliation he’d inflicted on himself.


	4. I'm Pregnant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The empress is with child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Request:** "I'm pregnant" from anonymous.  
>  Originally posted [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/143076717579/alikou-27).

“You look like you’re feeling better,” Alibaba remarked one evening over dinner, bathed in red-gold sunlight slanting in from the open doors to the courtyard. It was just the two of them, as usual, seated at opposite ends of a narrow table, a dozen or so small dishes of food between them. Kougyoku was nibbling on thin slices of cucumber, trying to maintain a sense of decorum despite feeling as though she could clean the entire plate in about four bites. Cucumbers had always made her want to gag in the past, but suddenly, after several days of doing nothing but gagging, they seemed like the most delicious thing in the world.

“Yes, I saw the physician this afternoon,” she explained with a bright smile, reaching for an ambitious bite of watercress. “He was able to set things right.”

Kougyoku had been rendered nearly unable to function by nausea for most of the past week, often brought about by a heightened sense of smell. Eating in her presence had been forbidden. Incense and perfumes had been banned. Even certain ministers and officials had to be kept at a distance in meetings. Eventually Kougyoku simply refused to leave her private quarters, often attempting to sleep off her churning stomach and aching body. It seemed as though everything between her neck and knees hurt, and even _she_ thought it had become too easy to make her cry.

While Alibaba and the servants had been comforting and helpful, Ka Koubun was sure his princess was dying. Yet it was Koumei who sent the doctor to Kougyoku’s bedside, an ancient man with herbs and a magician’s staff. It had taken him only minutes to reach a diagnosis.

The empress was with child.

The news came as no surprise to her, however. It was something of an open secret among the upper echelons of the court that she and the prime minister had nearly married before his disappearance, and that they now lived as husband and wife in every way but in name. This was bound to happen eventually, she would tell Alibaba with a laugh whenever he’d tug her back into bed with him. And he always welcomed the idea, pulling Kougyoku against him and joking that he was running out of plans to get her to marry him, and that this was the only way he could think of now.

And so she wasn’t particularly distressed when the physician revealed a baby boy’s rukh now resided within her belly. She just hadn’t anticipated this happening so soon –especially not within mere weeks of Alibaba’s return. But as the doctor soothed her aches and ills, he urged that this should be expected of a couple with such _frequency_.

Even hours later, the words made Kougyoku’s ears go pink. But she continued to smile, pushing her embarrassment aside and tamping down her excitement until it was somewhat manageable. It wouldn’t do for an empress to fall all over herself delivering life-changing news to the man she loved.

“He used healing magic, right?” Alibaba asked conversationally, and she nodded, fingertips held to her mouth as she continued to chew on her watercress, seemingly unable to get enough of these vegetables she previously despised. “Man, it’s so cool that they can do that now,” he mused, absently straightening out his left arm beside him, eyes trailing over the deep scars around his elbow. “I’m still not used to not having to wait to get back to normal…”

“Well, it’s really only temporary,” Kougyoku explained, attempting to steer the conversation back toward her announcement. “The physician said I’ll probably be sick for a while, and that he’ll have to keep seeing me.” And it was true. Her body was changing rapidly, and healing magic that was effective one week might accomplish nothing the next. If she were to remain comfortable, she would be seeing him often.

“What is he, a quack?” Alibaba half-joked, reaching for a piece of roast duck (his favorite in all of Kou) and apparently missing the humor in it. “Can’t even cure a little upset stomach for good.” Kougyoku bit her lip, setting her own silver chopsticks down and taking a deep breath.

“Alibaba-chan, he said I’m going to have a baby,” she said, as serenely as she could manage. And his only reaction was to choke.

Kougyoku’s eyes went wide, gentle smile falling instantly, and she hopped up out of her seat, rushing to his side at the other end of the table. All afternoon she’d been imagining how Alibaba would pull her close and laugh even as he began to cry, so delighted he’d be to know they’d soon be a real family. But the reality brought about a wave of guilt; her timing was bad, of course, but until now Kougyoku hadn’t considered the possibility that he might not _really_ want this after all.

“Are you all right?” she fussed, patting Alibaba on the back to ease his cough. He reached for his bowl of soup, tears already in his eyes, and managed to drain it in just a few gulps. That seemed to calm him considerably, and before Kougyoku knew it, he had a hand around her waist and was tugging her even closer to him still.

“Come here,” Alibaba rasped, still sniffling and clearing his throat, and she allowed herself to be dragged over. With one hand resting on the small of her back, he brought his other to her belly, brow furrowing. Kougyoku stood stock still as he merely closed his eyes, not understanding a thing he was doing until she felt a warm sensation beginning to seep in through her clothes beneath Alibaba’s palms.

Magoi manipulation. He wanted to see for himself that it was true.

“You’re right…” he murmured, moving his hand to a different spot as though what he felt the first time might have been wrong. “It’s small, but… There’s magoi that isn’t yours.”

“Yes,” was all the empress could say, somewhat breathless with anticipation herself. She covered Alibaba’s hand on her stomach with her own, squeezing it gently and silently praying that he would be just as happy about this as she was. He rested his head against her side, arms creeping around her waist in what seemed like a more proper hug.

“Kougyoku…” His voice was very soft, almost childlike, and she felt his shoulders shake as he sniffled again. She braced herself for his disappointment or confusion, but when Alibaba turned his face up to finally look at her, her anxieties began to melt away.

He was grinning, just like Kougyoku had imagined, sunlight catching in the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. She couldn’t help the smile of relief that came to her own face in turn, running her fingers affectionately through his hair.

“We did this…” Alibaba said, starting to laugh quietly into her robes as he clung to her in joy. “We’re having a baby…”

**End.**


	5. Could I Give You a Massage?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alibaba gets a massage and the answer to a question he didn't know he should ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Request:** “Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?” from anonymous.  
>  Posted on my blog [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/147607495879/4-alikou).
> 
> Something kinda sweet that will maybe cheer up Alikou fandom a bit! I wanted to finish this before Alikou Week, but only managed to get the dialogue written before I had to stop and work on event fics.

Coming back to himself and the normal flow of time was disorienting, Alibaba had learned. The longer he spent in an altered state, the more the world seemed to rush and spin around him when he came out of it. Pausing to evaluate the situation in a fight posed no problem, but in the time it took to peruse a scroll on the successes of terraced rice farming in mountainous regions of Kou, Alibaba would grow too accustomed to his environment’s slowed pace, and would find himself straining to keep up with his racing surroundings.

He hadn’t thought simply reading in a library would take such a toll on him, but he couldn’t ever remember feeling as worn out as he did now. Ascending beyond time’s normal flow was strenuous enough, leaving his head aching and eyes begging for sleep after only a few hours of using the ability. But it was the rest of his body that really troubled him. Alibaba would brace himself against the library table whenever he stopped to turn a page or open a new scroll, worrying he’d fall from his chair if he didn’t. The muscles in his back and shoulders were constantly tensed, sweat beading on his skin from exertion despite the fact that he had barely moved all day.

A good night’s sleep wouldn’t fix everything, Alibaba conceded as he marked his page in his current book, but he  _really_  wanted a few hours to rest. He’d been doing this for a week straight now, and his physical state seemed to get worse with every passing day. His neck was stiff and it hurt to move his arms much, and even arching his back as he stretched produced a grunt of pain.

It was then that he heard a noise behind him, the sound of a stack of books being set on a table followed by soft footsteps.

“Alibaba-chan?” came Kougyoku’s voice as she approached him, setting her hand gently on his shoulder. “Are you all right?” she asked, concern evident on her face even in the dull lamplight of the library.

While Ka Koubun and the other officials had gone to bed hours ago, the empress had refused to quit until Alibaba did, rushing about to retrieve books on whatever he asked for. She wasn’t much of a scholar herself, but she wanted to help however she could, even if it meant simply finding books or returning others to shelves. Alibaba had expected she’d relegate the task to a servant sooner or later, but she turned out to be attentive and efficient, and a much harder worker than he’d given her credit for. It was pretty cute, to be honest.

“I’m fine,” he answered, allowing himself to list off to one side and into her touch. The warmth of her hand felt nice against his overtaxed muscles, and his eyes slipped shut. “Just completely wiped out.”

“You’re very tense,” Kougyoku said, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze. For all his training over the years, Alibaba had no idea what a tense shoulder felt like compared to a normal one. He wondered how she —a member of an imperial family, whose body had most certainly always been tended by servants and slaves— knew the difference.

“Am I?” he asked, and he could hear the exhaustion in his own voice. He glanced up at Kougyoku with tired, stinging eyes, and she fluttered amidst her silk, the faintest blush spreading across her cheeks. A wave of fondness washed over him.  
  
“Y-Yes. If you wanted, I could, um...” Rather than finish her sentence, her thumb dug gently into the back of his shoulder, beginning to circle a tight spot with the most delicious pressure.

“ _Oh_ ,” Alibaba all but moaned, his mouth falling open in delight. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before. Acupressure was a technique he’d experienced often in Reim under Shambal, but that had been agonizingly painful and limited to specific tender spots, nothing at all like the mindful way Kougyoku worked a whole stretch of muscle loose. This hurt too, of course, but it was a dull, satisfying pain, and positively heavenly.

“Yeah,  _please_ ,” he practically begged, and Kougyoku shifted behind him, one small hand upon each of his shoulders. She moved them in tandem, lightly at first, the heat from her palms simply warming his flesh. But eventually she began to press harder, and it felt like her thumbs were digging deeper into his aching muscles now. Alibaba didn’t get it, but it delighted him nonetheless, his thoughts beginning to blur around the edges as his body relaxed. His voice escaped him in soft groans now and then, bloodshot eyes falling shut.

“How’s this?” Kougyoku asked after a few minutes. He had begun leaning back into her touch, a little desperate for more. Her pressure was steadily increasing, but not enough for his liking.

“You could go harder,” Alibaba said, briefly rounding his shoulders to further stretch what she’d loosened so far. It felt like Kougyoku had switched to using her knuckles now, digging them into his flesh deep enough to earn a grunt of satisfaction. “Mm, yeah, that’s good.”

If he wasn’t so exhausted, Alibaba might be more embarrassed by the sounds he was making. It surely must sound like he was getting off on this, especially with the way his brow tensed and his body squirmed. He  _wasn’t_ , of course, not from a shoulder rub, but it would be just like Kougyoku to assume he was. He could imagine the look on her face, cheeks red in shyness, eyes glancing anywhere but at him, and he chuckled tiredly to himself, completely taken by the thought.

When she finally spoke, however, he was surprised to hear her words come out evenly, her voice a thoughtful murmur.

“I’m sorry... I can only do this much for you,” she said, and Alibaba just  _knew_  that she was going to get into something heavy —something that would require he respond with more than another grunt. So he squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to part with the simple image of his flushed, beloved empress massaging his shoulders. He was too tired for a serious talk, too punchy from staying up this late, but she pressed on.

“You’ve been working so hard for me all this time, Alibaba-chan,” she said, small fingers moving to carefully knead the muscles of his stiff neck. The feeling was simply too good, days of tension evaporating beneath a blissful sort of pressure, brought on by his sweet Kougyoku’s loving touch. He simply couldn’t take it anymore. “But I’ve—”

“Marry me.” The words slipped from him without a thought.

Kougyoku gasped, the warmth of her hands disappearing in an instant, having jerked them away like she’d been burned.

“What?” the empress squeaked from behind her heavy silk sleeves, stepping back a pace in surprise. Alibaba craned his neck to grin at her, finding it easier to turn his head than he had in days. Her eyes were huge, shining in the lamplight.

“Marry me and do this every day, and I’ll consider us even,” he said, only half joking, though knowing full well she’d reject him even if he asked seriously. They had never talked about it except in a political sense, and Alibaba didn’t know if she saw him as anything but a friend, let alone someone she’d willingly marry. He wasn’t even sure she knew he loved her. And so he turned in his chair, resting one arm up on the back of it, and winked at her, hoping she’d know he was only teasing.

He was immediately met with a faceful of silk, Kougyoku having smacked him with her long sleeves in embarrassment. This kicked up a small cloud of dust, and Alibaba snorted back a laugh, having gotten the rise he’d wanted.

“That’s not how you ask an empress for something like that!” Kougyoku yelped, her face a brilliant red. Much to Alibaba’s surprise, she looked panicked, the inevitable smile he’d hoped for nowhere in sight. She was hiding her mouth behind one sleeve and backing away slowly. Then she pointed a shaking finger at him, clearly trying to steady her voice into something less feeble.

“F-Figure out a better way or I won’t say yes!” she said, looking as though she might faint, then spun on one heel and stiffly began to march toward the exit of the library.

Alibaba’s mouth fell open. She thought he was serious.

“Wait, really?” he asked, sitting up straight in his chair and hoping she would come back. His heart began to beat faster and he no longer felt he might doze off at any moment. Kougyoku would marry him if he’d simply ask her properly? He could hardly believe it. A smile tugged at his lips, his eyes lighting up and his heart swelling with joy. This was what he’d wanted since they were in Sindria together.

“Just go to bed already, you’re tired!” Kougyoku yelled from the other side of some bookshelves, tearing him from his thoughts.

Alibaba had to chase after her.

“Kougyoku?” he called, trying to keep her from leaving the library before he could even stand up. He all but ran toward the exit, not bothering to shelve his books or extinguish the lamps around him. And even though she hadn’t finished rubbing his shoulders, the pain still lingering in Alibaba’s body no longer bothered him.

**End.**

 


	6. Don't You Dare Throw That Snowba-- Dammit!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter has arrived in Rakushou, and the Prime Minister finds it both miserable and wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a tiny drabble, but I got caught up in the idea of winter in Rakushou and ended up expanding a bunch of ideas. Also wrote a bunch of fluff to soothe my heartache over recent chapters. (It worked... temporarily.)
> 
>  **Request:** “Don’t you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!” from [Hakuryuukun](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Hakuryuukun/pseuds/Hakuryuukun).  
>  Posted on my blog [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/148014875404/11-alikou-for-the-pairing-and-number-meme-please).

The empress was partway through applying her makeup when she heard Alibaba’s feet hit the floor in the next room, accompanied by the rustle of bedding. He sniffed once, twice, then sneezed, groaning softly as he wiped his nose either on his wrist or on the edge of the quilt he surely had wrapped around his shoulders. Kougyoku’s unpainted lips curved up into a smile; over the last few months, she had come to know her prime minister’s morning habits better than her own, and she found them oddly endearing.

He was early today, however. While she rose with the sun for sword practice and a long self-care routine, Alibaba would often sleep until midmorning —or as close to it as he could manage. Kougyoku expected her uninterrupted presence had something to do with his premature emergence from their bed. She was usually crossing swords with Ka Koubun in a training hall at this hour, not clattering about on her makeup table or preparing tea as she dressed.

But today was special, and she had no time for swordsmanship. It was the Winter Solstice Festival, and the empress was starting a new tradition this year: the palace would celebrate by feeding the poor of Rakushou. Business for the Fanfan Trading Company was booming, allowing for much-needed public works projects and occasional acts of charity such as this. Kougyoku was to address a crowd in the city center with Alibaba in a few hours, stressing the importance of compassion and generosity during winter in hopes that the citizens of Kou would follow their lead. Perhaps when they returned from speaking, they would train together, she mused, determining that she had indeed lined her eyes _and_ filled in her eyebrows symmetrically.

“This country is so _cold_ ,” Alibaba mumbled in lieu of a greeting when he finally appeared in the doorway from the bedroom. His eyes were barely open, and as usual, he had cocooned himself within a pale quilt stuffed with goose feathers, blond hair sticking up in every direction. Her little silkworm, Kougyoku liked to call him in the mornings. Her grumpy little silkworm.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile and a tilt of her head, glancing at him over her shoulder in the mirror. “How are you feeling?” He let out another groan, pulling his quilt tighter around himself. Alibaba was always a little averse to waking up, but as the days grew shorter and chillier, his willingness to get out of bed practically disappeared. The fact that he was up at dawn today was nothing short of a miracle.

“Freezing my ass off,” he fussed, shuffling over to a small heater on the floor and crouching down beside it. It was a simple magic tool, an object of his own invention, virtually indistinguishable from the refrigeration units Fanfan sold, except that it emitted heat rather than stole it from the air. As Kougyoku began dusting rouge onto her cheeks, she heard him sniff again and crank the heater up to it highest setting. Alibaba loved the humid tropics, and even had a fondness for the blistering hot deserts of Qishan, but apparently he had met his match in Rakushou’s frigid winters.

“I didn’t wake you, did I?” asked Kougyoku, knowing full well that she did. She had tried to be as quiet as possible, but she still ended up making a troubling amount of noise. Her sleeves in particular tended to knock things over, combs and jewelry and the like. No matter how many times Alibaba told her it didn’t bother him, it always made her feel a bit guilty.

“It’s fine,” he said, softer than before. The warmth from the magic tool was easing his crankiness, and she caught herself staring at his reflection, his eyes shut and golden hair fluttering in the rising heat. “’S hard to fall back to sleep if you’re not there, anyway,” he added, shifting so that he was now sitting more comfortably on the floor, arms hugging his knees. Bare toes poked out cutely from beneath his quilt, curling against the floorboards.

“I’m sorry,” said Kougyoku, unable to stop the affectionate smile now pulling at her lips, even as she began to paint them with vermilion. And she really was. If she had her way, she would laze in bed with Alibaba as long as he liked, but Kou required its empress, and Ka Koubun had long since convinced her she needed two hours in the mirror to become one. Her beloved prime minister would just have to make do with the time she could give him, even if it was merely the entire night.

“Let’s go back to bed,” said Alibaba, words mumbled into his knees. He was gazing at Kougyoku’s reflection now with bleary eyes, watching as she brushed pigment onto her lips. The offer hung between them for many moments, until she was satisfied with the small rosebud she had painted onto her mouth.

“We can’t today,” she replied apologetically. Then, setting her brush down onto the makeup table, she turned to face him. He looked rather pathetic like that, curled into a ball on the floor, and Kougyoku wished she could simply deposit him into bed and snuggle up next to him. “We have to go out later, remember? The Winter Solstice Festival?”

The free food, the public addresses, it had all been Alibaba’s idea in the first place. Looking after the impoverished had been a priority of his since he arrived, like he thought he could make up for everything that had happened in Balbadd by taking care of Kou. He had never told Kougyoku as much, but his heart was too open for her to not see it herself. He spun this event as a way to boost the empress’s popularity, and perhaps that was why his plan was approved by the other officials without hesitation.

“Yeah, but...that’s _later_ ,” Alibaba urged, just a hint of sleepy playfulness beginning to dance about his tone. Practically sitting on a heater did wonders for his mood on icy mornings like this. “And this will be warm.”

“I already did my hair,” Kougyoku reminded him, standing slowly from her makeup table and making her way over to where he sat on the floor. Her hairstyle alone took nearly an hour to complete, and she couldn’t have him mussing it (or her newly applied makeup, _or_ some of her finest winter robes) in bed.

“I’ll help you fix it after,” he said as he gradually uncurled himself, then wrapped his arms around her legs in a lazy hug. Alibaba leaned into her, invisible prickles on his chin rasping against silk as he nuzzled her thigh.

“You don’t know how,” Kougyoku chuckled as she picked up the teapot atop the little heater, pouring him a cup before it got too hot again. She could hear the wind blowing outside, the first snowflakes of the season tapping softly against the windowpanes. The reminder of winter brought a chill down her spine. She was glad to be indoors now, even if she couldn’t be cuddling in bed. “Come on, have some tea. You’ll warm right up.”

“You always say that, but it’s so— Hey.” She had handed off the cup of tea and was pouring another of her own when Alibaba interrupted himself. His eyes were fixed on a window on the far side of the room, the teacup never reaching his lips. Suddenly he looked quite awake.

“What’s wrong?” Kougyoku asked, following his gaze. She could see dawn was still rising slowly, the pale sun barely penetrating the clouds. Snow fell from the sky in flakes the size of silver coins, covering the courtyard outside the window in an ever-thickening blanket of white. The capital’s new municipal lighting, produced by Fanfan and powered by the magoi of the population itself, cast a dull glow over the city. Violet-tinged light reflected up off the snow on the ground, then back down from the clouds again. Despite the lack of sun, it was fairly bright out, but that wasn’t what had caught Alibaba’s attention.

“Is that... snow?” he asked softly, a hint of disbelief to his voice. He let the quilt fall from his shoulders as he stood, setting his teacup on the heater so carelessly that it sloshed, and started toward the window.

“Of course.” Kougyoku followed a step behind him, intrigued by how taken he was with something so commonplace. Gently, Alibaba pressed his fingertips to the windowpane, as though he could hardly believe what he was seeing. His breath fogged the glass, and frost began to melt beneath his touch.

“I’ve never seen real snow before,” he said, glancing at Kougyoku, the corners of his mouth twitching into an incredulous smile. The entire courtyard seemed to glitter, ice clinging to the stems of dead plants and weighing down the skeletons of willows. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m surprised it took this long to arrive,” she replied, although she was captivated not by the view outside the window, but by Alibaba himself. At the beginning of autumn, he’d told her how much he was looking forward seeing snow and experiencing winter in the mountains. However, his enthusiasm promptly vanished during the first cold snap, and he had found every excuse to avoid going outside since then. But the way he was looking out the window now, eyes alight as though he was witnessing something truly miraculous, was one of the sweetest things Kougyoku had ever seen.

She grinned, content to slip an arm around Alibaba’s waist and lean into him, simply cherishing this moment of quiet, breathless wonder. But he turned to her almost immediately with the most dazzling smile, smearing a handprint on the windowpane in his excitement.

“I have to go out there,” he said, touching his cool fingertips to Kougyoku’s face before pulling away from her. Then he disappeared back into the bedroom, presumably in search of a few more layers of clothing.

“Alibaba-chan?” she called into the next room, setting down her cup of tea and trailing after him. Many weeks ago, she’d had her tailors produce a number of winter clothes for their prime minister, but as he all but refused to make use of them, Kougyoku had had the servants store them away within their private quarters. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember which piece of furniture in which room held the fashionable padded jackets and embroidered boots she’d had commissioned. And so, she merely opened the cabinet closest to her on the off chance it contained what she desired, but was met with nothing but extra bedding.

“Just for a minute, it looks incredible!” she heard Alibaba say as she checked the contents of a wardrobe neither of them ever came near. It held a number of formal robes he had yet to even acknowledge, and Kougyoku found herself rolling her eyes as she shut the doors again.

“Wait, hold on,” she urged, hurrying into a smaller room used mainly for storing clothes. Alibaba was simply throwing things on over what he’d slept in, resulting in a clash of colors and a horribly lumpy silhouette. He looked ridiculous, and more importantly, like he’d catch cold in an instant. That was the last thing Kougyoku wanted for her dear friend, and so she began tearing through a chest that looked like it might hold something warm enough for the season.

“I need to touch it!” Alibaba laughed, and she heard him tapping the toes of his ratty Parthevian shoes against the floor to get them on properly. She hated those things; they had to be about as old as she was, and the cutout pattern on the tops meant they would be no use in the snow.

“You should really put on something warmer,” said Kougyoku, poking her head around the doorframe at the sound of footsteps, but Alibaba was already jogging toward the staircase, grinning and clearly not listening at all.

“Be right back!” he said with a motion somewhere between a wave and a blown kiss, then all but skipped down the stairs. The empress was left alone on her knees, half the silken contents of yet another chest pulled out beside it, her heart a battlefield of endearment and mild frustration. As precious as his happiness was to her, Alibaba seemed to go temporarily deaf whenever he got excited about something new, and was about as receptive to her warnings as a pile of bricks. This often resulted in a burned tongue or whatnot, but occasionally Kougyoku found herself dealing with the aftermath of poison ivy or a fall from a horse.

With a sigh, she rose up to her feet and made her way back to the window overlooking the courtyard. The door on the ground floor slid open and slammed shut again, and then Alibaba appeared outside, leaping from the veranda out into the snow. He sank in nearly to his knees, and through the glass, she heard him give a muffled yelp, his arms windmilling around to keep him from falling over completely. Kougyoku all but burst out laughing at the sight.

Many years ago, when she was first brought to the palace as a child, the emperor and many of his daughters had just acquired a number of dogs. They were like tiny golden lions, black-faced and energetic, who bounded around the palace courtyards with glee at any opportunity. Watching Alibaba now, Kougyoku simply couldn’t help but be reminded of them; he was positively _frolicking_ through the snow, spinning in circles and catching flakes on his tongue and tossing big handfuls from the ground into the air. At one point he turned to her window with a grin, blowing her another theatrical kiss, and she felt the final vestiges of her annoyance melt away.

She was too charmed for it not to.

Shyly and with cheeks ablaze, Kougyoku returned the kiss, knowing she must look incredibly silly. Alibaba made an even sillier show of receiving it, blissfully miming what looked like a hit to his heart with an arrow. He staggered back a step, but must have tripped on something beneath the snow, as he then toppled over, one of his shoes flying off in the process. Kougyoku snorted back another giggle, but determined then that it was time she made sure her prime minister was dressed properly.

Strangely enough, she found Alibaba’s jackets and boots in the same wardrobe where her own were stored. It seemed obvious in hindsight, and all she could do as she donned a cloak and a padded coat of her own was shake her head. Then, arms full of warm winter clothes, she scurried downstairs and opened the door to the courtyard. A wall of cold air slammed into her, stealing her breath for a moment, a flurry of snowflakes swirling around her.

“Alibaba-chan!” Kougyoku called out the door, unable to actually see where he’d gone. His footprints were everywhere, as were trails of crushed snow where he’d rolled a few large snowballs. It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light outside, but once they did, she saw Alibaba’s golden head pop up from behind said snowballs. He’d arranged them in a row like a barricade, and was crouching behind them, filling in the gaps with loose snow.

At the sound of Kougyoku’s voice, he came running as fast as he could without losing his shoes again, breath coming in heavy clouds of white in front of him. He bounded up onto the veranda and caught himself by her shoulders, nearly knocking her off balance.

“Kougyoku,” he huffed happily, teeth chattering in spite of his grin. Alibaba’s nose and his fingers were bright red, and he sniffled, not nearly as impervious to the cold as he seemed to think a few minutes ago. “I’m freezing!”

“That’s why I told you to wait,” she said with a smile, shrugging her shoulders to indicate the armload of clothes she held between their bodies. He glanced down at them with sparkling eyes. “I had these made for you weeks ago, but you haven’t been outside since then.”

“Oh... Whoops!” Alibaba laughed. His entire frame was wracked by shivers, frigid hands trembling on her upper arms. Snow clung to his hair, melting slowly, and Kougyoku could see his outermost layer of clothing was soaked through. “Can I put them on now?” he asked excitedly, sniffing again. “I wasn’t finished out here.”

“Please do,” she said, and Alibaba began peeling off his wet clothes, dropping them directly onto the veranda. “Here, let me...” Kougyoku helped him first into his new jacket, fastening the front closed when his numb fingers refused to, then held him steady as he changed into his boots. Some small part of her felt victorious to see him toss aside those worn out shoes so carelessly.

“There,” the empress said once he’d finished, straightening out his new clothes for him. “Much better.” In spite of his messy hair and unwashed face, Kougyoku thought he looked much more handsome like this, dressed properly in something fashionable and well-fitting. The grin had yet to leave his face, and Alibaba rubbed his bare hands together, trying to produce even a little heat between them.

“Seriously, thanks,” he giggled. Kougyoku reached out, carefully taking his hands in her own. His skin felt like ice, fingers stiff and red, and she brought them to her mouth, breathing on them a few times to warm them. “Didn’t know you could even get that cold,” he said, just as she pressed her lips against his knuckles. Glancing up, she watched his smile grow considerably dopier and the flush on his cheeks deepen.

“That’s why,” Kougyoku began, rather emboldened, kissing at each of his fingertips as she spoke. “You need—” Kiss. “To listen—” Kiss. “When I’m telling you—” Kiss. “To wait for me.” She fluttered her long lashes, and Alibaba gulped.

For a few moments, it seemed as though he really had frozen solid; he simply stood there, blushing from his hairline down to his neck, mouth attempting to fit together the correct sounds to form words. Kougyoku beamed up at him, a bit proud she’d managed to render him speechless; all too often, it was the other way around.

“I-I...” he stuttered finally, brows drawing together as he took a step closer. “My mouth is really cold too, actually!” Alibaba blurted out, and the effect it had was instantaneous. Unable to keep from laughing, Kougyoku leaned up toward him nonetheless, a hand on the back of his neck guiding him to meet her halfway. He was simply too sweet to resist.

“Stop trying to be smooth,” she murmured against his lips when they parted. “It doesn’t really suit you.” Oddly enough, his mouth really was chilly, like he’d been eating snow since he first left her sight. Chuckling again, she placed another kiss on his cheek, then another still just below it.

“I’m not trying!” said Alibaba, puffing up. But the corners of his mouth were twitching, like he was fighting back a smile of his own. He wasn’t actually annoyed.

“So you’re just that cool naturally,” said Kougyoku, her tone completely smooth. She pulled back from him, reaching into the pocket of her jacket for the two pairs of gloves she’d brought downstairs with her. They were made of soft leather, not particularly warm, but certainly better than nothing when standing around in the cold.

“That’s right!” Alibaba snapped, grabbing the gloves offered to him and pretending to pout. Kougyoku giggled, teasingly leaning a shoulder against him as she donned her own pair, then began to make her way off the veranda and out into the snow.

“Whatever you say,” she told him, and he scoffed, but a moment later, he had an arm around her shoulders and was laughing right along with her. As Alibaba led her over to the row of snowballs he’d assembled, he nuzzled her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, and in spite of the chilly weather and snow fluttering down around them, Kougyoku thought she might melt.

  
  


To the empress’s great amusement, Alibaba’s wall of snowballs turned out the be something of an ambitious construction project. When he was in Reim, he said, he’d heard gladiators from the north tell stories of war games played in winter. They built crude fortresses out of snow and ice, and drove off invaders by throwing smaller snowballs, as though they were launching stones from catapults. He had always wanted to try it himself, but living in warm climates made it impossible.

Kougyoku, having never played a game involving more than two people before, was thoroughly captivated by the idea, and went to work immediately fortifying the wall. While she and Alibaba were speaking in town, he told her, he would have the members of his household build an opposing fortress within the courtyard, then act as enemy soldiers when they returned. The thought alone made her nearly shiver with excitement, so thrilled she was by the prospect of playing a game with friends. They may not necessarily be _her_ friends, but she could think of nothing more splendid than being included that way, especially by Alibaba.

Perhaps half an hour passed before they were interrupted, the door to their private chambers sliding open with a bang. Kougyoku had finished patching up the holes in the wall between the snowballs Alibaba had stacked, and the two were now packing snow together in smaller balls to use as ammunition. The sound of the door slamming open made them both jump, ducking down within their fortress before slowly peering up over the wall at the intruder.

Ka Koubun stood on the veranda, pulling his robes tighter around himself and looking agitated. Kougyoku imagined he must have spent at least ten minutes knocking and waiting for permission to enter their quarters, only to receive no answer and eventually let himself in.

“Your Majesty! Your Excellence!” he called, his voice muffled by the snow in the air and on the ground. “We need to begin rehearsing your speeches!”

Disappointed that their fun was being cut short so soon, Kougyoku gathered up her skirts, preparing to stand and trudge back into the palace to see to her duties. But Alibaba silently placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from rising. She glanced over at him in confusion, and she found his eyes were twinkling, the smirk on his face barely contained.

“Come, now, you two!” said Ka Koubun, having spotted them peeking out of their fortress. He was now making his way off the veranda toward them. “The speechwriter has made some changes you must be aware of!”

Hidden from view by the wall of the fortress, Alibaba held a finger to his lips, and out of the corner of her eye, Kougyoku saw him reach for a snowball. She stared in confusion for a moment, wondering why he needed that if they were just planning on hiding like this, like lazy children beneath the furniture when their tutors came calling. But as he dropped the snowball into her lap, he nodded his head toward his assistant, and she realized what he wanted.

Ka Koubun was an invader, and there was only one thing to be done with invaders in winter war games.

“We need to do this! You’ll have time for games in the snow later!” he said, perhaps only a dozen paces from their fortress now. A grin broke out across Kougyoku’s face, a grin Alibaba mirrored instantly, unbridled glee dancing within his eyes.

Then the prime minister drew back his arm above his head, launching a snowball at his unfortunate assistant. It missed, of course, but the effect it had might well have been the same as if it had hit its mark. Ka Koubun gasped loudly, stopping dead in his tracks and recoiling as though he really had been struck.

“How _dare_ you!” he yelped, although he made no move to retaliate, thoroughly bound by his rank. “Your Excellency, this is _most_ childish—”

Alibaba had begun piling more snowballs into one arm, tears already in his eyes as he snorted back his giggles. But it was Kougyoku who threw the next one, smiling from ear to ear, and this time her aim was true. The snowball exploded on Ka Koubun’s shoulder in a burst of white, and a cry of delighted surprise escaped her. Alibaba now roared with laughter, unable to help himself, and she found it too infectious to fight.

“ _Your Majesty!_ ” Ka Koubun shrieked in horror. “Stop this right now!” Although she often disobeyed him in her adolescence, Kougyoku had never once struck him outside of training. And she _certainly_ had never thrown anything at him. But she felt no remorse, only a thrill of forbidden amusement as she grabbed a few more snowballs, readying herself to toss them in quick succession.

“You two, don’t you dare throw any more—”

It was the same idea Alibaba seemed to have, and the two of them locked eyes for a moment in understanding, their cheeks pink and their smiles wide, before unleashing a barrage upon their poor assistant.

“ _Damn it!_ ”

They would make it up to him later, Kougyoku supposed.

**End.**

 


	7. Kiss Me & Looks Like We're Trapped…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kougyoku likes thunderstorms. Alibaba finds them terrifying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did both at once because I’m weak. Apparently thunderstorms make Alibaba sweaty and uncute.
> 
>  **Requests:** #13 - “Kiss me.”  & #17 - “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…” from [naegichiis](http://naegichiis.tumblr.com/).  
> Posted on my blog [here](http://himegimi.tumblr.com/post/149755470974/i-dont-remember-if-you-ever-did-13-but-if-you-did).

A bright, stuttering flash illuminated the orchard, wind roaring through the trees as loud as ocean surf. Thunder followed a moment later, distant and roiling, but strong enough to make the little farmhouse vibrate. Kougyoku remained by the window, however, leaning on the sill and nibbling at a plum, absently wiping away the juice that dripped down her chin.

Kougyoku had always been rather fond of thunderstorms, and Sindria’s blustery afternoon squalls were no exception. She watched the sky more intently than even her favorite operas back home, reaching one arm out the paneless window and into the rain to rinse the juice from her fingers.

“It looks like we’re stuck here until the storm passes,” she mused, cool raindrops landing hard on her skin. Somewhere behind her, Alibaba let out a weak hum, which she took as agreement.

For her last day in the country, her friend had taken her out of the city and into the fruit orchards. He bought her a basket at the market, borrowed a flying carpet from the palace, and flew the two of them up into the hills outside town for the afternoon. At first, the princess had objected to the notion of doing peasant labor for fun, but Alibaba insisted it was nothing of the sort. Filling one small basket with fruit for her voyage home hardly constituted _labor_ , he’d said with a grin. It was goofing off, climbing trees and eating all the fruit they wanted and _not_ acting like royalty.

When he put it like that, Kougyoku had to admit the idea held some appeal after all.

The sun was shining brightly when they touched down outside the farmer’s house, hot enough to make wearing the plain cotton dress Kougyoku had bought in Balbadd seem like a good idea. Alibaba chatted briefly with the farmer, a man who’d allowed him and his friends to pick from these orchards many times in the past, and offered up a number of gold coins in advance. Then he took Kougyoku’s hand with a confident ease that made her heart flutter, and began leading her up into the hills on foot.

By the time the clouds blew in, her basket had long since been filled with unripe fruit. Tuckered out from carrying it nearly to the top of the winding orchard path (and from showing off climbing as many trees as the princess found amusing), Alibaba had flopped down in the shade of a plum tree, head in Kougyoku’s lap, and promptly fallen asleep. Lulled by the hum of insects and birds singing nearby, and the comfortable weight of her friend on her legs, it hadn’t taken her long to doze off herself.

She awoke again not from the rumbling of thunder, but from Alibaba’s yelp when he heard it himself. He had bolted up from her lap, knocking over the basket as he scrambled to his feet, rain beginning to sprinkle over the orchard. Kougyoku had hardly managed to collect up all the fruit from the ground before he grabbed her arm, dragging her a bit further up the path until they reached another small farmhouse. It wasn’t a residence anymore, Alibaba had explained, an odd tightness to his voice as he brought her inside, but a place for laborers to store their tools and rest during the heat of the day.

It hardly looked like a restful place, Kougyoku thought, peering around the tiny building now as the rain picked up. The walls were unadorned, except for a fireplace that looked like it hadn’t been used in years, and the floor appeared to be nothing but packed dirt. A table was pressed against one wall, a lamp and a few candles atop it and half a dozen small stools arranged around it, but there was little else in the way of furniture. On the far side of the room was a door made of splintery local wood, presumably leading to wherever the tools were kept.

Really, it was more of a shed at this point than anything, Kougyoku decided, and was about to tell Alibaba as much when she realized he was nowhere to be seen.

“Alibaba-chan?” she called, a bit perturbed by his sudden absence. He was just here a moment ago, and she certainly hadn’t noticed him leave. Still, Kougyoku decided to check the building’s other room just in case, and was halfway there when she got her reply.

“What?” she heard Alibaba croak from somewhere... _low_. She glanced down, catching sight of his feet. Apparently he had crawled under the table, and was sitting beneath it with his knees drawn up in front of him.

A smile of amusement tugging at her lips, Kougyoku set down what was left of her plum and leaned over to peek at her friend. He was so _silly_ , she thought, hiding from her like this and giving her such a scare. During their days together, he seemed to have grown fond of teasing her, and perhaps she enjoyed being teased a little too much, although she would never admit it out loud.

“What are you doing under here?” she asked, though she felt her grin begin to fall once she got a better look at him. Alibaba had curled himself into a ball, holding onto his clothes so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He stared at the floor, unusually pale skin shining with sweat, jaw clenched and lips set in a hard line, as though he might be sick at any moment.

Immediately, Kougyoku’s mind began to race. Was he really ill? It certainly looked that way. But wasn’t he fine just an hour ago? Or had he fallen asleep on her because he already wasn’t feeling well? Oh, how she wished Ka Koubun were here. Or at least her metal vessel, so she could fly Alibaba straight to the palace and find him a doctor. Would he be able to walk back down through the orchards to the carpet like this? He’d told her he’d lost a lot of weight recently, but Kougyoku didn’t know if she’d be able to carry him all the way down on her back. And anyway, flying in this weather would be too dangerous—

As if to prove her point, a loud crack of thunder shook the little farmhouse, stealing her breath away and making those splintery doors rattle on their hinges. But it was when Alibaba cried out at the sound, slapping his hands over his ears and curling in on himself further, that Kougyoku came to understand what was wrong.

He wasn’t sick. He was _scared_.

“You... don’t like thunderstorms?” she asked softly, kneeling down beside the table, concern tugging her away from her own momentary panic. Alibaba was breathing hard through his nose, trembling in short bursts, and she was sure that if he wasn’t clenching his jaw so tightly, she’d be able to hear his teeth chattering. “Are you all right?”

He took a deep, shuddering breath, then another, normally soft eyes shut tight.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly, as though he was trying to convince himself of it too. “It’s really nothing, I just...” He trailed off with a sigh, wiping a hand across his sweaty face.

Alibaba was lying. And it was a painful lie, one Kougyoku had heard too many times already throughout her life.

 

“ _Beat it, ugly!” the young boy choked out when she opened the doors of the wardrobe, venom drowning in panic. Scarlet eyes had grown redder still from the tears that streamed down his cheeks. Thunder rumbled through the palace, and there was a hot, angry terror in the way he pushed himself further into the corner of the wardrobe. The princess reached out a hand to him, trying to be of some comfort, trying to be a real friend, but he slapped it away._

“ _I’m fine, you stupid old hag!” the boy all but shouted, but he wasn’t fine, and she could feel her heart breaking for him. Shaking fingers clutched at a wand she knew could spit ice shards and tempests, and a moment later he had pointed it straight at her. “Now get lost!”_

 

Pushing her thoughts aside, Kougyoku began to crawl under the table. Some small, hidden part of her was actually surprised when she didn’t get so much as a foot to the chest then. But Alibaba was different from Judar, she told herself, he was gentle and appreciative, leaning against her shoulder just slightly when she sat beside him. He wasn’t someone who’d take his fear out on her.

“It’s okay,” Kougyoku urged, almost unsure of how to be comforting now that she’d been given the chance. Carefully, she slipped her hand into Alibaba’s, loosening his grip on his clothes and lacing their fingers together. His hand was clammy, trembling just as hard as the rest of him, and it took a great deal of restraint to keep from simply wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tight. “A lot of people are afraid of them.”

“I’m not _afraid_ ,” he said with all the composure he could muster, although it took him three attempts before he could manage to swallow. “I just get kind of anxious...”

With a tiny smile of concession, Kougyoku nodded. If that’s what Alibaba wanted to tell himself, she wasn’t going to stop him; a debate over semantics never made anyone feel better. He shifted nervously, still forcing himself to take deep breaths, his fingers tightening around hers as he squirmed.

“A long time ago,” Kougyoku began after a few moments of thoughtful silence. She spoke slowly, her smile growing nostalgic as she reached back into her childhood. “I... knew a little boy who hated storms like this more than anything. He used to hide in the deepest corners of the palace and cry his eyes out whenever the weather got bad. I don’t know how he made it through as many summers as he did like that.”

“What happened to him?” asked Alibaba, having more or less stilled beside her. His voice was soft, sounding as distant as her memories of her first muggy summers in Rakushou’s palace, nearly lost in the noise of rain on the roof and in the fruit trees outside.

“Eventually he learned to control it,” replied Kougyoku, absently brushing away the dirt that had stuck to the front of her dress when she kneeled. Just faintly she could recall the smell of the wardrobes Judar used to hide inside, lacquered wood and old silk, both damp from the still humidity of the storms. It was nothing like the scents Sindria took on now, fresh and earthy, gusts of clean sea air blowing away any signs of mustiness.

“His fear?” Alibaba’s hand still shook within her own, but the time between each small fit of tremors was gradually growing longer. Perhaps it was the closeness of their bodies that was calming him, or perhaps it was his deep breathing and the distraction of a small story, but whatever it was, it seemed to Kougyoku that it was working.

“No, lightning,” she said, giggling at the thought of it. “Judar-chan stopped being afraid when he learned to use lightning magic.”

Alibaba stared at her incredulously before giving the weakest of chuckles himself. The smile on his face was frail and almost _tired_ , but it looked genuine, the panic beginning to fade from his eyes as he laughed. It made Kougyoku feel a bit warm inside, the notion that she was somehow able to comfort her dear friend like this when he was in such a state.

“Well, seeing as that’s not really an option here, I—”

An unusually loud crash of thunder cut him off, the prince ripping his hand from Kougyoku’s in order to cover his ears again, his entire body tensing. He didn’t yelp this time, but rather let out a long whine, as if to drown out the noise with his own voice. His eyes were shut tight, shoulders hunched as he drew in on himself, tremors returning full force.

Seeing him like this made Kougyoku’s chest ache, and she found herself patting Alibaba’s arm now, trying to ease him back down through touch alone.

“It really bothers you, doesn’t it?” she said once his hands were no longer clamped so tightly over his ears. If she had her metal vessel, Kougyoku thought, perhaps she could do more, fly about and collect all the storm clouds into a lake in the sky, and then the lightning would have nowhere to go. But right now, this was all she could manage, and she regretting being so short-sighted with her weapon.

Yet it was Alibaba who apologized, much to her surprise.

“Sorry,” he said with a sigh, resting his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. His fingers pulled at his hair, hard enough to look like it hurt. “I’m sorry, Kougyoku. This isn’t how I wanted you to spend your last day here. You must think I’m so lame...”

She found herself tutting at him, pulling a clean handkerchief from where she’d tucked it into her dress before leaving the palace.

“Not any lamer than I was for crying about King Sinbad in front of you,” she told Alibaba, reaching up to dab at the cold sweat on his face with it as she spoke. He really was a mess now, but it was nothing compared to how stupid she must have looked to him, blubbering away over loving a man she hardly even knew. She was amazed he still wanted to be her friend after learning how ridiculous she could be.

“That was different!” he argued, straightening up to look Kougyoku in the eye. She paused for a moment, but he made no move to push her hand away, so she continued to wipe at his damp forehead. “He really broke your heart. I’m just...” Shrugging, Alibaba shook his head, letting himself trail off. Then he took the handkerchief from her, still trembling, and used it to dry the back of his neck.

“Well, I don’t mind it, whatever you are,” said Kougyoku, allowing her bent legs to lean against his in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. They sat hip to hip now, thigh to thigh, an unusually intimate act between friends. “I’m... actually glad I’m with you now. These things are less scary when you have someone to talk to, right?” She smiled at him, and although it took him a few moments, the corners of his mouth briefly twitched upwards in return.

“Yeah, I guess,” Alibaba admitted shakily, and she could’ve sworn she saw a hint of color on his cheeks before he suddenly looked away, mopping his face with the handkerchief.

A sudden swishing crash against the front wall of the farmhouse nearly made him leap out of his skin, however, startling even Kougyoku badly enough that she jumped.

“What was that?” Alibaba blurted out, voice far higher than the princess had ever heard it before. Her handkerchief was pulled tight between his trembling hands, and she found herself placing one of her own atop them in reassurance.

Outside the tiny farmhouse, the wind continued to roar through the plum trees. With no panes in the small windows, the storm was free to blow rain right through them, leaving wet patches on the packed dirt floor. Ducking her head down to see out from underneath the table, Kougyoku peered up at the window she’d been standing by earlier. While it had offered an unobstructed view of the orchard then, all she could see now was leaves and branches.

“I think it was a tree,” she said, wondering just how _much_ of a tree had fallen. Surely none of the little plums were substantial enough to trap them here, but she was curious about how big one had to be to make the sound that it had. “I’ll go check, though,” she announced, and moved to crawl out from beneath the table.

But a moment later, Kougyoku felt a faint rumble of thunder begin to vibrate the floor beneath her palms, and then Alibaba grabbing a fistful of her skirt, keeping her from moving an inch more.

“ _Wait_ ,” he pleaded, body leaned forward to reach her, his eyes wide and fearful when they locked with hers. She opened her mouth to say something, but by then, he had released his hold on her dress, and was retreating back against the wall as though he was ashamed of himself. Alibaba pulled his knees up to his chest again, clasping his hands together over his mouth and nose and looking anywhere but at her, then offered a muffled, “Sorry.”

She hated it. Kougyoku hated it that Alibaba had to experience this, and hated it even more that he was embarrassed about it. Her heart ached for him, just like it had ached for Judar when he was afraid, and she found herself settling back down beside her friend, desperately hoping to soothe him however she could.

“No, it’s okay,” she said softly, pushing through whatever shyness lingered between them, and began gathering Alibaba into her arms. “It’s okay. Come here.”

He obliged with little hesitation, brow tight as he slumped down to rest his cheek against Kougyoku’s shoulder, one of her arms around his back. He quivered as he pressed himself against her side, the heat of his body easily finding its way through her clothes. The princess had never held anyone like this before, and she could feel her cheeks flushing at the knowledge that she had just pulled a young man close this way. But far stronger than any adherence to propriety was her desire to comfort and _protect_ Alibaba from the things that scared him so much.

“How’s this?” asked Kougyoku, smoothing damp hair away from his face with her free hand. She had few memories of her mother now, but the sensation of those long, slender fingers in her hair was something she could recall vividly. It had always calmed her, anchored her, and she hoped it might do the same for Alibaba.

“Mmph.” His grunt was weak and noncommittal, but he tentatively placed one cold hand on the curve of her waist, as though she were a pillow he wished to hug in his sleep.

“What would make it better?” she probed, continuing to run her fingers through those blond locks, nails scratching lightly against his scalp. Immediately, goosebumps began to form on his skin.

“Nothing,” Alibaba mumbled into her shoulder after a very pregnant pause. “It’s stupid.” 

“I’m sure it’s not,” Kougyoku urged. What seemed stupid to her was the fact that he was obviously keeping a secret while in such a state. She could feel every tremor that wracked his body now, and every shallow breath he’d given up on trying to slow.

“No, you’re... gonna think it’s weird,” he said, strangely resistant for someone already huddling in the safety of her arms.

“Alibaba-chan, you can tell me,” said Kougyoku, her voice soft. Sweeping his hair behind his ear, she then gently guided him to lift his chin up and meet her gaze. He sucked in a breath, body tensing. “I want to help you.”

He stared at her for a moment, such a painfully vulnerable look in those honey-colored eyes. But then he looked away, sagging against her as he heaved a sigh of defeat.

“It’s... really embarrassing,” Alibaba muttered finally, turning his face against her shoulder. “But you...” Even through the thick cotton of her dress, Kougyoku could feel his lips moving over her skin, and she was so focused on the sensation that she simply didn’t hear what he’d said.

“Hm?” He stiffened again, and she saw him squeeze his eyes shut.

“I said you can kiss me,” Alibaba repeated, words spilling out in a much louder voice this time.

Kougyoku’s face immediately flushed a brilliant red, and she hardly knew where to look. A kiss? A real kiss? Like between a husband and wife? Oh goodness, oh dear... Her heart had begun to pound, the hand running through Alibaba’s silky hair again having stilled.

Now that she thought about it, their little trip up into the fruit orchards seemed an awful lot like those things commoners called _dates_. Alibaba had taken her somewhere away from prying eyes, bought her gifts and held her hand, and he had even fallen asleep on her lap. It had all seemed innocent enough at the time, but had Kougyoku really misunderstood his intentions this badly? Could it be that his fear of thunderstorms was all an act, an elaborate plan to get a kiss out of her now? And why, even knowing that her friend had fooled her, was it so difficult to feel opposed to the idea of it?

Kougyoku bit her lip, unsure of herself, and Alibaba huffed suddenly, as though he’d just realized why she’d fallen quiet.

“Just...! On the forehead,” he said quickly, a wave of nervous tremors overtaking his form. “That’s all. My mom used to do it during storms, and Kassim too, when it was just us.” He paused, then said in a much smaller voice, “It’s dumb, but it really helps, for some reason.”

The princess felt herself deflate, both in relief at the thought that Alibaba didn’t seem to be trying to deceive her, as well as in an all too familiar disappointment. It didn’t carry the same weight as the realization that Sinbad would never love her, but Kougyoku couldn’t help but feel let down by this too.

She just kept getting ahead of herself in these matters, didn’t she?

“Here,” she said, leaning down to give Alibaba a quick kiss to the forehead nonetheless. His hair was damp and her lips came away tasting like salt, but she found it didn’t bother her at all. “Is that better?”

Kougyoku wasn’t sure what she was expecting from the kiss —an instant calm to fall over them both, or some sudden realization that they were deeply in love with each other or whatnot, but it seemed to deliver neither of those things. Alibaba merely swallowed, continuing to cling weakly to her as he shook.

“It... has to be longer,” he mumbled into her dress. “Mom used to hum a song when she did it.”

“A song?”

“A lullaby,” he said, as though it were the most embarrassing thing in the world. “It was about honeybees.”

“I don’t know any songs about honeybees,” Kougyoku confessed, combing through whatever Kou lullabies she could remember. She had always been told her mother was a wonderful singer, but she could hardly recall being sung to as a child. Until she was nine, she was no one’s first priority, and so the nights when she was sung to sleep, as well as the number of songs she knew, were very few.

A particularly sharp crack of thunder tore her from her thoughts then, followed by Alibaba’s arms tightening almost painfully around her middle, his face hidden against her neck.

“Anything’s fine!” he urged, breath coming fast and shaky against her skin. “Could you please just—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Kougyoku had leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead again, determined to comfort him properly this time.

Her voice left her in the faintest of hums, a gentle, swaying melody slowly filling the small farmhouse. It wasn’t a lullaby, but a wistful folk song about ducks on a river in autumn. Kougyoku always thought the tune was pretty, and would sometimes sing it when she was lonely or sad. But this was the first time she’d ever let anyone hear her do so. Ka Koubun had maintained that a princess shouldn’t hum like a palace maid scrubbing floors, and so she had kept quiet, only ever singing to herself when no one else was around.

As each moment drifted into the next, every note building upon the one previous, Alibaba began to soften in her arms. His trembling weakened, and Kougyoku could feel him breathing in time with her song, deeply and slowly. Thunder continued to rumble far out over the sea, yet four verses in, it ceased to renew his panic. He remained still against her, leaning into her rather than clinging now, his fingers playing with a fold of fabric at the waist of her dress.

“Kougyoku?” he murmured once she had fallen silent, the sound of the wind and the rain in the trees seeming far louder than it had just a moment ago. Alibaba’s voice was calm for the first time since they’d awoken outside in the growing storm, his body having molded comfortably into hers, and Kougyoku was almost afraid that moving would break whatever spell he had fallen under.

“Hm?” Her lips remained on his forehead until he pulled back to look up at her, his gaze weary. The corners of his mouth twitched, however, and the smile he was threatening broke out a moment later.

“You... really suck at singing,” said Alibaba, his shoulders beginning to shake, not in fear, but from quiet, affectionate laughter.

Almost instantly, Kougyoku felt herself prickle, ready to shout at him to shut up and just appreciate that she was willing to sing for him in the first place. But she found that she couldn’t, his soft giggles continuing even as lightning illuminated the inside of the little farmhouse and a boom of thunder followed soon after.

Alibaba wasn’t afraid anymore, and it was because of her. If all it took was a hit to her pride to keep her friend from being so miserable, Kougyoku was willing to make that sacrifice as many times as he needed it.

Cheeks red from delighted embarrassment, she began to laugh herself, her relief rendering her unable to fend off Alibaba’s contagious giggles for long. And for good measure, Kougyoku leaned down to kiss his forehead again, a gesture he accepted willingly.

**End.**

 


End file.
